Stories are the best way to teach kids EVERYONE!
“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” - Native American Proverb
I believe wholeheartedly in that proverb. That’s why stories are at the heart of absolutely everything I do!
Of course, I LOVE BOOKS but I also love audiobooks, movies, plays, and cooking shows. Oh, man, do I love cooking shows. Seriously, don’t get me started on the Great British Baking Show. I wrote an entire chapter book series inspired by it. But that’s another story. 🤣
Reality shows, really?
Yes! Even though they aren’t technically
narratives, reality shows are still all about
the storytelling. The drama. The emotion. That’s why there’s always a big construction problem in every single home renovation show. Every single one. It’s about the story. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the mold or the ants or the broken pipe usually show up at the same point in every episode. That’s storytelling and story structure at work, my friends.
Stories, in my opinion, are also the best way to teach…well…anything to anybody!
Why Stories are a Great Way to Teach?
Everyone loves a good story. But that’s only part of it. As humans we’re wired to process the world through story. Stories engage our thoughts and emotions. They form mental pictures that light up both hemispheres of our brain telling our mind…hey, pay attention! Which makes them the perfect learning tool.
Emotional Intelligence and Stories
We think in stories, remember in stories, and turn just about everything we experience into a story. Stories also help children develop empathy and cultivate imaginative and divergent thinking. How else but through a story can you experience the world through someone else’s eyes?
Flight, Fight, or Fiction?
In fact, stories are a survival skill. Humans don’t have sharp fangs and claws, (Okay, most don’t!) Instead, our evolutionary advantage is our ability to solve problems which requires imagining outcomes that haven’t happened yet.
Hellooooo….stories!
Listening to harrowing tales about facing down saber tooth tigers helped our ancestors figure out what to do in a similar situation. Plus, there’s nothing like a good tale well told. Being prepared for a saber tooth tiger attack, or a particularly harsh judging of your Victoria Sponge Cake, is just a nice bonus. ;)
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